HVAC Installation in Santa Fe, NM
A new system here will heat from October through May and cool from July through August every year. Tell us about the house, and a licensed contractor who covers Santa Fe County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Ten months of the year, your system is working
Winter nights in Santa Fe County average 20°F from December through February, and homes here need heat from October through May, eight months a year. Summer is short by comparison, just July and August, with afternoons averaging 84°F. Ten months out of the year, something in this house is running to keep it comfortable.
A new system has to hold up through a long, cold winter and a short, hot summer, not just one or the other. Most homes here heat with gas, so the furnace carries the bigger share of the work, while whatever cools the house only has to answer for July and August. Installing for both jobs, sized right for each, is what keeps the system working across all ten months instead of straining through some of them.
- 8 months
- October through May, your system heats
- 2 months
- July through August, it cools
- 20°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 84°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
New Mexico requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The Construction Industries Division tests and licenses HVAC contractors across New Mexico, including here in Santa Fe County. That license belongs to the contractor, not to any single job, so it tells you the person or company doing the work has already been vetted by the state before they ever get to your house.
Because New Mexico licenses the contractor, that license is the main thing standing behind an installation like this one. On top of it, replacing a heating and cooling system in most cities and counties in the state calls for a permit from the local building office, with an inspection once the work is finished. That inspection is what confirms the new system was put in correctly, separate from whatever the license already youches for.
Source: New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department
- When should I replace my HVAC system?
- Replace it when repairs start happening every year or the unit can no longer keep up on the coldest nights. Winters here bring lows around 20°F, so a furnace that struggles to keep the house warm now is only going to get worse as the season goes on. A system that short cycles, runs longer than it used to, or needs a new part every year is telling you it's done. Once a repair comes up on an older unit, it's worth having a contractor look at the whole system rather than patching it again.
- Should I replace my furnace and air conditioner at the same time?
- If both are old, yes, it usually makes sense to do them together. A furnace and air conditioner installed years apart still have to work off the same ductwork and often share a blower, so pairing new equipment together lets it all match. Homes here need heat from October through May and cooling only in July and August, so the furnace carries most of the load and tends to wear out first. If your air conditioner is only a few years old, there's no reason to pull it out early just to match a new furnace.
- What happens during an HVAC installation?
- A contractor removes the old furnace, air conditioner, or both, and sets the new equipment in place, then connects it to the ductwork, gas or electric line, and condensate drain. Refrigerant lines get connected and tested for leaks, and the system gets fired up and checked against the manufacturer's specs. In most cities and counties here, this job needs a permit from the local building office, and an inspector checks the work once it's done. A contractor pulling the permit will walk you through what that inspection covers for your job.